Bob-sleigh



J. GLAYTON.

BOB SLBIGH.

(No Model.)

No. 571,647 Paten'd NW. 17, 1896.

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PATENT JOHN CLAYTON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

BOB-SLEIGH.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,647, dated November 17', 1896.

Application filed June 13, 1896. erial No. 595,45r. (Na model.)

To [(,ZZ 107210722' it may colwcrn:

Be it known thatl, JOHN CLAYTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bob-Sleighs; and I do declare the following' to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such ais will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the aceompanyin; drawings, and to letters of reference inarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a side view of bob-sleigh having' the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section on line w Fig'. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial plan View of bench with bar F removed. Fig'. JL is a Vertical section through center of bar F, parts broken. Fi". 5 is a perspective view of one of start-plates. Fig's. (5 and 7 are perspective views of plates G and l'I. Fig. 8 is a side view of modification of start-plate.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvernents in bob-sleighs, the object being", mainly, to provide means whereby the sleigh-runner is permittcd a free and independent movelnent long'itudinally, at the same time retaining` it firinly in its lateral positon,so that the runn er can oscillate, or either end can rse and fall in passing over irregularities or inequalities of the ground without causing any twist or strain on the runners, the bench, or the starts.

Other ininor objects will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying' drawing's, the letter A designates the runners of a bobsleigh; B, the shoes; O, the start or strut plates; D, the starts or struts, and E the bench. The start-plates O are bolted, one to the front and one to the rear face of the vertical or knee portions of the bench E, and each is provided With a deep Vertical chamber or slot c, the walls of which are formed by two wings or flanges c', which extend outward from the front face of the plate and inward from the rear face of the same, the inwardly-extending walls having' a connecting hack wall which forms the seat for the start when the oscillation of the runner earries said start against such wall. Said chambers or slots are of tapering' form, their depth at the lower ends being' about equal to or a little greater than the diaineter or thickness of the start, while their upper portions are of sufficient depth to admit of the starts moving inward and outward, when the runner oscillates, without their extending; beyond the outcizedges of the outward flanges or wings c'. The taper is gradnal from the bottom to the top and corresponds approximately to the deerease in the extent of inovement of the starts from the top to the bottom. Said startplates are provided with perforated lugs C3, through which pass the through-bolts (Z. The perforations for these holts are placed out of line in order to add to the streng'th of the bench by causing` the holts to cross the grain of the Wood. The lateral width of the chambers 01' slots c is substantially equal to the diameter of the start if the latter is round, or its lateral thickness if square, thus preventing an y lateral play of the runner and rcndering it perfectly rigid in so far as inovement in this direction is concerned. The bench is grooved, as indicated at f, to receive the inward wings orfianges of the start-plates. The starts D are secured in the runners attheir lower end portions and extend up through the slots or chainbers of the start-plates, one at each side of the beneh upon each side of the sled. The upper ends of the starts are secured in fiat iron bars or reefs F, one a-t each side of the sleigh, which are not secured to the benoh,

but whose end portions are bent ol'flquelyl downward and are secured to the runners upon each side of the benoh in the usnal manner, being' free to move with the runners. These bars or reefs prevent the starts from spreading and also suspend and support the runners.

The upper edge of each runner is provided with a plate G, having' a Vertical flange which extends down upon the outside of the runner, and is provided with seats to receive the bolts g', which secure the plate to the runner. This plate G forms a bed or seat for the bench to rest upon. The upper or horizonta-l portion of the plate is formed with two oblong' slots h, through which the start-s pass. Said slots are of about the same width as the diameter or thickness of the starts, and the object in making them oblon g longitudinall y IOO is to provide means whereby the starts may be placed nearer together or farther apart according to the thickness of the bench. The inner face of the runner is provided with a plate II opposite the fiangeg of the plate G to receive the boltsg'. The upper edge of this plate H lies underneath the inner edge portion of the plate G, as best seen in Fig. 2, in order that any Variation in the thickness ofthe runner may be overcome by drawing the plate firmly against the inner face of the runner by means of the bolts g'.

The operation will be obvious from the foregoing and from the drawings without detailed description. Whenever either of the runners oscillates from any cause, one of its starts is carried inward and the other outward in the slots or chambers of the startplates. If desired, the central portion of the wings or flanges of the said plates may be cut away, as shown in Fig. S, in order to lighten the casting.

Having thus described Iny invention, what I clairn as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

`1. In a bob-sleigh, the combination with the runners, of plates Gsecured thereto, and having each a horizontal fiange which seats on the upper edge of said runner and is formed with oblong slots h, a plate H secured to each runner opposite its plates G and having a horizontal fiange upon which the horzontal fiange of the plate G rests, and bolts connecting the two plates of each runner, together with a bench whose knee portions rest upon the horizontal flanges of the plates G, the reefplates, and the starts whose lower ends enter the runner through the said slots hand whose upper ends are secured in said reef-plates, said starts having a loose engagement with the bench, substantially as specified.

2. In a bob-sleigh, the combination with a runner, a bench Whose knee portion is seated on said runner, and a reef-plate whose end portions are secured to the ru'nner upon opposite sides of the bench and whose intermediate portion extendsover the bench but is disconnected therefrom, of the start-plates C secured to opposite faces of the said knee portion, each of said plates having the out- Wardly-projecting tapered fianges c' and the corresponding opposite flanges c united at their inner edges by a connecting-wall, said flanges and Wall forming in said plate a Vertical chamber of gradually-decreasing depth JOHN CLAYTON. Titnessesz EDWARD SIsKRoN, G. L. FORT. 

